Why John Souttar Rangers handball should NOT have been punished as ex ref throws out IFAB rule book

The Ibrox side were punished during the Europa League clash with Benfica following a VAR review.

Rangers defender John Souttar should NOT have been punished for handball against Benfica - with former referee Bobby Madden leading the defence for the centre-back

It was a big night for Philippe Clement's side as they left Lisbon with a credible first-leg draw going into the Europa League second leg - but things could have been even better for the Scottish Premeriship leaders as they went against the Portuguese champions. Benfica were controversially allowed to level the game at 1-1 through an Angel Di Maria penalty when the Rangers defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box.

Souttar attempted to head a corner clear but the ball headed the ball down onto his own arm. Referee Tobias Stieler did not initially stop play but was sent to the monitor to review the incident by the VAR team - giving World Cup winner Di Maria the chance to level the game.

IFAB rules state that it is an offence if a player "deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball" or "touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger." It adds: "A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised."

And speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football podcast, former Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell argued that Souttar had not made his body unnaturally bigger as he attempted to head the ball clear. He said: '"When you see it back it hits his head and the ball goes into his arm when he is leaning in and trying to win the header, for me. Yes, his arm is away from his body but I just don't want to see that given as a penalty against any club or player."

Furthermore, earlier this season UEFA's football board wrote the following recommendation regarding their interpretation of the handball rule following a string of controversial calls. It read: "The board recommends that UEFA should clarify that no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not go towards the goal.”

That deals a hammerblow to the case for a penalty to be awarded - as pointed out by former SPFL referee Bobby Madden on his Instagram. Sharing a series of flashpoints from the Europa League last 16 ties, Rangers was first on the agenda. Madden wrote: "The first clip sees the ball being played by the defender onto their own arm. This should not be punishable."